Pages

Sunday, 13 November 2011

Ford Endeavour - Diesel Beast Phase 1: Interior Painting + Seats + Roof + Door

Ford Endeavour - Diesel Beast Phase 1: Interior Painting + Seats + Roof + Door

So after being generally satisfied with the interiors of the Endy, I woke up one fine morning with the itch to not just be satisfied anymore. I wanted to dramatically change the overall concept of the Endy interior. Of course, this road automatically leads to:
  • Seats
  • Doorpads
  • Gear Boot
  • Steering Wheel

After looking through the options available to me (went through almost 22 shops all around Bangalore), and I was feeling a bit depressed. What I wanted was a shift in the philosophy of the Endy interior - and this road was merely leading to a refresh. To give you guys an idea of what the interior looks like:


The first photo is actually from an Everest, but is a decent approximation. What irritates me about the car:
  • Tired and aged look
  • Monochromatic feel (except in Beige and Gray)
  • Wood Trimmings (some people like this, but I'm not a fan)

I wanted everything to change. This means:
  • Roof carpeting
  • Dashboard Color
  • Pillar Color
  • AC Vents

Is essence, everything needed to change. But in my darkest hour of depression, my good friend Amit (from Drift, Koramangala) steps in. In a couple of minutes, he gets the concept drawn out, understands the overall requirement and budget, the timeline for execution and so on so forth and says,"Dude, I got this".

Needless to say I was ecstatic!!! Finally someone who tells me how he will do what I want, as opposed to others telling me what they have. You gotta love Amit's "can-do" attitude. Needless to say, the next morning I woke up with a clutch of fear in my belly. This car is my most treasured possession. Do I really want people to strip it out completely from the inside and paint it through? I went to Amit and told him that I'm going ahead with the job, but I will hold him to any damage whatsoever happens to the car. Amit gave a blanket assurance, and from my prior experience with Drift, I knew these guys to be professional.

So on the morning of 31st October, I handed him my car and my keys with a heavy heart. Subsequently, I was travelling outside India and did not get the opportunity to see the work in progress. The work was ambitious, and involved the following:
  • Art Leather combination of Bordeaux and Black Carbon Fibre finish trimmings
  • Dashboard repaint in Black and wood panels done in Bordeaux
  • Roof carpet in Black Carbon Fibre finish
  • Door pads to reflect the seat combinations
  • All Pillars in Bordeaux till half way, and remaining in Black
  • AC Vents to be Bordeaux or Black as per a pre-defined design

I kept wondering about the decision to do all of this. I mean, the Endy is a rigid beast. Taking him apart is not a decision I thought I would ever take. It sounds too risky. The only thing which helped me maintain my sanity was the knowledge that the car was in capable hands.

Then on 11th November, I get a call from Amit telling me to come down and see the work. As I walked into the work area, I lost my breath. I'll let the pictures talk:

The gentleman in one of the above pictures is Mr. Munawar. He was the genius who was responsible for taking apart the car and painfully painting each piece - there is a picture above where each part of the car has been laid out on the table for painting.

God, I loved it!!! The interior was looking significantly more aggressive and vibrant. Of course, it still hurt to see the roof removed and see the organs beyond the skin, but I knew these surgeons were moving exactly as per plan. Full marks to Munawar for mixing the paint to exactly (98%) match the Bordeaux art leather.

I went home buzzing with excitement as the guys were gonna put the car together the next day. I couldn't wait!!!

In the morning, at around 11 am, I got a call from Drift. It went like this, "Brother, you should see this man. The interiors are wicked!!!". I ran to drift and sure enough, my baby was all put back together. The only part pending was the leather cover for the steering wheel - this needed to be machined and that too in real leather, but I couldn't wait. I told them to give me the car as soon as they finished cleaning up. I wanted to wear in the interior soon. Some pics of the nearly finished product:

The only part remaining is minor touch-ups (there will be the inevitable scratches while installation), the steering wheel leather stitching and the rear AC knob repainting. And of course a couple of things which I can't remember.

Now, I'm happy. I wanted a shift in my interiors, and I believe I've got it. Of course, this might not be to everyone's taste, but I'm a-loving it!!!

I can now consider Phase 1 complete.

Attached Images
         !          

1 comment:

tyreon wheels said...

I read your blog,its awesome.If anyone wants to Buy Ford Endeavour Tyres Online in lowest price in delhi.

Post a Comment